Roll-on dispensing cap



. Sept. 17, 1963 M. B. STULL 3,103,691

ROLL-ON DISPENSI Filed Nov. 2, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Marion 3. Stu/l HGENT Sept. 17, 1963 Filed Nov. 2, 1960 M. B. STULL ROLL-ON DISPENSING CAP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Moria/7 B. Szu [Z United States Patent 3,103,691 ROLL-ON DISPENSHNG CAP Morton it. Stall, Stull Engraving Co, 221-223 Banta Ave, Garfield, NJ. Filed Nov. 2, 1960, Ser. No. 66,754 2 Claims. c1. 1s-s72 This invention relates to applicator caps, and more particularly to caps wherein turnable balls are utilized as the applicator members.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved applicator cap of the above type, wherein a greatly simplified and yet effective sealing of the container is had when the cap is closed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved and simple sealing means as characterized, in a snap-on type ball-applicator cap.

Still another object of the invention is to provide in a cap as above set forth an improved double seal, involving the ball and cap body on the one hand and the cap body and removable cap on the other hand.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved double-seal type cap as above set forth, wherein the sealing means further serves as a detent to yieldably hold the cap in closed position.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a seal in accordance with the foregoing, wherein the sealing forces are essentially radial or mostly so, as compared with prior, axially acting seals.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a ball applicator cap construction and seal of the 7 type outlined, wherein the cap body and cap coact in a novel manner, with a hinge means when the construction is molded as a single unitary piece of resilient plastic material with the body and cap permanently connected to each other by la flexible hinge web, whereby the cap construction is of the type known as having a captive closure. The said novel coaction greatly facilitates the closing of the cap, as compared with captive closures not having applicator balls.

Yet another feature of the invention resides in the provision of an improved ball-applicator cap as characterized, wherein there is required but very little movement between the engaged cap body and cap, to effect the seal and detention of the cap, such movement being of a definitive nature as regards the sealing of the cap whereby the seal is effective at all times that the cap is carried on the body. Thus the matter of judgement as regards the seal is eliminated, since the only position of the cap on the body is a sealing one, the seal occurring, in response to but very little movement of the engaged components.

In conjunction with the feature stated immediately above there is the further feature, which resides in the provision of a ball-applicator, captive-closure type cap wherein the closure portion essentially has but two possible positions, a non-sealing position away from the cap body or a retained position on the cap body with the said retention simultaneously effecting the seal. Thus the question of whether or not a seal is bad is answered by the condition of retention or non-retention of the cap on the body portion.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, similar characters of reference are used to designate like components throughout the several views in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged top plan view of a ball-type applicator cap construction as provided by the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the cap construction.

of the cap construction mounted on :a container, the

latter being shown in fragmentary section and the cap closure being removed from the capbody.

FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 3 but showing the cap closure as applied to the cap body.

Referring to the figures, the cap assemblage of the present invention in the embodiment illustrated, comprises essentially a cap body member 10 and a cap stopper member 11 (the latter being also referred to as a cap closure member), together with a rotatable applicator ball 13 carried by the body member.

The cap body member 10 is shown as being permanently secured to the cap closure 11 by an elongate, thin flexible Web member 15 which constitutes a hinge means and by which the cap 11 is held captive at all times although being capable of swinging movement from the open position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 to the closed or sealing position illustrated in FIG. 4. The assemblage of cap body '10, cap 11 and hinge web 15 may be advantageously molded in a single piece, of a flexible and resilient plastic substance such as polyethylene or similar formulations.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the cap assemblage is shown as applied to a container 17 which may be of any suitable type, such container being illustrated as having a reduced neck portion 18 provided with an outwardlyproject-ing, annular sharp shoulder or detent means 26 by which the cap body 10 is retained in place. The cap body 10 is adapted to be press-fitted and snapped over the neck portion 13 of the container 17, and for this purpose the body has an internal annular detent means 22 shown as having sloping, substantially conical upper and lower surfaces which are cooperable respectively with the lower and upper sloping conical surfiaces of the bead 20 of the container 17.

The bead 20 is seen to have a gently sloping upper conical surface 24 and a sharply sloping lower conical surface 26, the latter being effective in retaining the cap body on the container whereas the gently sloping surface 24 acts as a camrning means by which the applying of the cap body to the container is facilitated, inasmuch as the cramming surface 24 enables distortion of the co-' operable bead 22 to readily occur upon the applicationof downward pressure when the cap body portion 10 is applied to the container.

As clearly seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cap body portion 10 is of tubular configuration, having a large-diameter portion 23 arranged to encircle and extend around the container neck 18 and having a small-diameter portion 30 arranged to be disposed above the top edge or rim 31 of the container so as to constitute in effect a tubular extension of the container neck.

Disposed mainly within the small-diameter portion 30 of the cap body 10 is the applicator ball or sphere 13, said ball being retained in the position shown in the figures by a plurality of inwardly projecting nibs or lugs 32 carried by the lower part of the small-diameter portion 30 and also by an inwardly extending shoulder or bead 34 carried by the upper end or rim 36 of the smalldiame-ter portion 30. As seen in FIG. 3 the applicator ball '13 is loosely retained captive in the said small diameter portion by means of the nibs 32 and annular shoulder 34, inasmuch as the maximum dimension or diameter of the sphere is too large to pass through the shoulder 34 or between the ni bs.

Clearance space 38 exists between the exterior surface of the applicator ball 13 and the interior wall surface of the small-diameter portion 30 of the cap body, thereby to provide for the passage or egress of liquid from the container 17, for the purpose of enabling such liquid to it be applied to a desired surface by the applicator ball 13, as is Well understood in the art.

It will be noted from an inspection of FIGS. 3 and 4 that the cap body has an internal annular positioning shoulder 4t which is engaged under continual pressure by the rim 31, a seal being obtainable by such engagernent for the purpose of preventing leakage of the liquid contents of the container past the cap body at this point, when the cooperable parts are made to closely fit each other.

Where the cap body is formed of a resilient molded plastic composition, as in the present instance, the yieldability and resilience of the body will enable the side walls 28 thereof to sealingly engage the bead of the container 17 even though such bead has irregularities, thereby to provide a very effective seal for glass containers, especially when the bead has a sharp crest as here provided.

In accordance with the present invention, the cap body 10 is so constituted (notably the small diameter portion thereof) together with the cap or closure 11 of the cap assemblage, that when the latter is applied to the cap body as illustrated in FIG. 4 a novel and effective seal is had whereby egress of liquid from the interior of the container 17 past the applicator ball 13 is effectively prevented. With the present construction such seal comprises a double seal for this purpose, and involves sealing engagement on the one hand between the applicator ball 13 and the internal flange or shoulder 34 of the cap body 10, and sealing engagement 0n the other hand between an internal surface of the cap 11 and an external surface of the lip or rim 36 of the cap body portion 10. Moreover, the said sealing engagement at these two points is characterized mainly by radial pressures, as distinguished from axial sealing pressures involving axially facing lip or rim surfaces such as are encountered in prior dispensing and applicator caps.

Additionally, the second mentioned sealing engagement, namely that between an exterior surface of the small-diameter portion 30 of the cap body 1t) and an interior surface of the cap 11, is associated with a detent organization by which the cap is retained in its sealing position on the cap body, this being illustrated in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, for the above purposes the rim 36 of the cap body 10, which is resilient and readily deformable and displaceable, is provided with an outwardly projecting annular detent and sealing shoulder or head 44, and for cooperation therewith the cap 11 has an inwardly facing cooperable annular surface 46 together with a low, inwardly projecting sharp shoulder or detent means 48. The cap 11 further has an interior, conical camming or lead-in surface adjoining the detent bead 48, which conical surface is initially engageable with the rounded detcnt bead 44 so as to have a camming action by which the resilient cap 11 spreads slightly and the rim 36 compresses or reduces slightly in diameter as the cap 11 is forced over the rim to the position shown in FIG. 4.

The double sealing action as provided by the invention, and which is characterized mainly by radially directed forces, is clearly illustrated in FIG. 4. -In this figure it will be seen that after the cap 11 has been applied to the cap body 10, the resilient rim 36 of the cap body portion has been reduced or compressed in diameter to such an extent that it engages under constant force the applicator ball 13. It will be noted that the ball 13 has been pressed and pushed against the inwardly projecting nibs 32 whereby it is rigidly held with no looseness whatsoever, and whereby the sharp edge of the inwardly projecting shoulder 34 of the rim 36 has been slightly flattened under the inward pressure exerted by the cap 11, thereby to effectively seal against the surface of the applicator ball 13 at a zone spaced inwardly or downwardly a slight distance from the top end surface of the rim 36. The inward compression or contraction of the rim 36 has been effected in response to the action of snapping the cap 11 in place on the cap body portion 10, and it will be seen from an inspection of FIG. 4, that the inwardly facing surface 45 of the cap 11 is arranged to apply appreciable, radially inwardly directed pressure against the rim 36, thereby effectively to reduce the diameter and circumference of such rim to cause the sealing engagement of the shoulder 34 thereof with the applicator ball 13. Moreover, such action of the cap 11 effects a second and effective seal, which exists between the outwardly projecting rounded head or shoulder 44 of the cap body 1 and the inwardly facing annular surface 46 of the cap 11.

As seen in FIGS. l4 the cap 11 has a dome or closure portion 54 which conforms generally to the rounded exposed surface of the applicator ball 13 and which does not closely fit the said surface but instead is spaced a slight extent therefrom (notably in FIG. 4). The cap 11 has a finger-engageable tab 56 by which the cap may be readiiy removed from the closing or sealing position shown in HO. 4, upon the application of suitable pressure in the well known manner. For both the sealing and unclosed positions of the cap 11, the hinge web 15 retains the cap captive, as will be understood.

For the purpose of facilitating the inward contraction or reduction in size of the resilient rim 36 of the cap body 16, the side walls of the reduced portion 30 are made thinner at an annular zone as indicated at 58, thereby to enable said side walls to readily flex at this point and by such construction a more flexible and softer snap action is obtained in applying and removing the cap 11, and this constitutes an important feature of the invention. Another feature of the invention resides in the shape of the internal sealing shoulder 34 whereby it presents a sharp inner edge or corner 60 for engagement with the applicator ball 13, thereby to insure a tight sealing engagement along a perfectly circular area when the cap 11 is in place, as shown in FIG. 4.

The particular applicator ball, cap body and cap closure construction as illustrated in the drawings and described above has an important advantage as concerns a novel coaction between the ball 13, body 10, closure 11 and hinge web 15. This coaction is involved in the feature whereby the operation of closing or sealing the cap construction may be very easily and quickly effected, as compared with prior caps whether these be of the ball-applicator type or of the captive-closure type.

By the present invention, the applicator ball 13 and the close-fitting rim 36 having a relatively small radial dimension or thickness may function in the nature of a wedge, in conjunction with the sloping or conical wedging surface 50 of the closure portion 11 and the supplementing shallow concavity presented by the under or inner side of the portion 11 taken with the relatively small wall thicknesses thereof and the low, bulbous or domed exterior of the cap closure portion. These elements all coact to enable the quick and easy sealing closure of the cap construction to be had, inasmuch as the user need merely place his or her hand or palm under the cap portion 11 as seen in FIG. 3, and thereafter swing upward, around to the left and downward the said closure portion by appropriate movement of the hand, finally ending with a vertically downwardly directed movement with the cap portion now under the palm of the hand (which latter has been brought through a turning movement having a arc in following the swing of the cap portion as governed by the hinge web 15). The cap portion 11, now positioned over the applicator ball 13 is guided by its contact with such ball, bringing the sloping surface 50 in engagement with the sealing lip 36. The hinge web 15 aids in centering the cap portion over the cap body, and in effecting the guiding engagement above outlined. Accordingly, it is only necessary for the user, after having executed the above described simple swinging movement of the cap portion 11, to press downward upon the same, whereby the engaging surfaces will automatically guide the cap portion 11 so as to sealingly seat the same over the applicator ball and sealing rim 36. No special intentional guiding or positioning movement is required of the user, merely the general hand action above described. Accordingly, it is seen that the coaction between the hinged web 15, the applicator ball 13, the sealing rim 36-, and the shallow closure portion 11 having the sloping mouth 50 at the concave inner or under side together with the low,'dome-like outer or upper shape, makes it possible :for the user to very easily apply the cap and effect the desired seal, without involving the exercise of any skill whatsoever and with but a simple and quick movement of the hand. This constitutes an important feature of the invention.

It will be noted that the rim 36 which provides the double seal also has an additional function, since it carries the detent head 44 by which it serves to retain the cap portion 11 in its sealing position on the body portion 10. This construction is involved with another important feature of the invention, inasmuch as it will now be seen that the relative attaching movement between the cap portion 11 and the cap body portion when these are engaged with each other is very slight, being halted by a stop means comprising the ball 13 becoming engaged with the under surface of the cap wall 54, such short movement resulting in an immediate sealing of the cap construction in consequence. Further, the action of applying and securing the cap portion 11 to the body portion 10 results in an effective and complete seal being had at all times, inasmuch as the fact that the cap portion 11 is retained on the body portion is indicative of the seal being in operation. In other words, if the cap portion 11 is not forced past the detent bead 44 so as to be sealingly mounted on the cap body portion 10 it will not stay on said body portion but instead will spring away to the open position of FIG. 3 upon pressure being released from the cap. On the other hand, if the detent bead 44 does retain the cap portion 11 mountedand in place, on the body 10 as shown in FIG. 4, then by virtue of the construction provided there is had the effective double seal. Accordingly, there is eliminated the matter of the user exercising any judgment with regard to the cap being sealed, inasmuch as the retention of the portion 11 means a seal is had, whereas a nonretention of such portion cause it to swing away from the body 10, indicating visibly beyond any question that the cap construction is not in sealing condition. Therefore, the construction of the present invention may be termed a two-position device, one (the open) position being shown in FIG. 3 wherein no seal is had, and the only other position being the mounted position of FIG. 4, wherein there is unmistakably effected a double seal. There are no possible intermediate positions, and the detent means is operative to retain the closure cap in mounted sealing position only after the rim 36 has been radially compressed and sealingly engaged with the ball 13 The thin wall section disposed immediately below the sealing rim 36, designated by the numeral 58 in FIG. 3, serves an important function in that it provides for a dimensional stability of the ball retainer nibs 32. With the present cap construction it is desirable that these nibs be dimensionally stable in order that the applicator ball 13 is properly positioned, especially when the parts are in the sealing position shown in FIG. 4, representing the double action seal of the cap construction. By virtue of the thin wall provided at 58 in the body portion 10, there is minimized any displacement or distortion of the nibs 32 at the time that the sealing rim 36 is compressed and forced into sealing engagement with the ball 13 as shown in FIG. 4.

It will now be seen from the foregoing that there has been provided by the present invention a novel and improved ball-type applicator cap assemblage whereby an effective and extremely simple double seal is had when the cap or closure portion is applied to the cap body portion. The double seal is characterized by sealing forces which are exerted mainly in radial directions, one seal being effected between the internal shoulder 34 and the applicator ball 13 whereas the other seal is effected between the external bead 44 of the cap body and the internal surface '46 of the cap. No additional parts such as sealing liners, disks, and the like are involved in the present closure structure in order to eifect the desired seal. Instead, the seal is had utilizing solely the two separate pieces of the cap assemblage, namely the one piece shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 which consists of the cap body 10 and the cap closure 11 on the one hand, and the second piece which is represented by the applicator ball 13. It has been found in practice that the present balltype applicator cap is extremely effective in sealing the container and preventing leakage of the contents thereof. Moreover, it provides a quick and convenient means for applying and dispensing the liquid contents of the container to desired areas, in closely controlled amounts.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A turnable-ball snap-type applicator cap assemblage comprising a molded-plastic, thin walled, tubular, resilient capbody having means for securing it to a container, said cap body having a thin resilient rim provided with inner and outer annular beads disposed back-to-back and defining a dispensing opening, said rim and beads being circumferentially and radially expansible and contractile, said inner bead constituting a sealing means and said outer bead being generally rounded in section and constituting a circumferentially reducible snap detent means; an applicator ball rotatably carried by the cap body, said ball having a minor portion protruding from said rim and exposed to the touch for dispensing the contents of the container in controlled quantities; positioning means in the cap comprising molded lugs integral with the cap and engaging the ball to hold the same within the rim, said means enabling the ball to be spaced from the rim in response to inward pressure on the ball, thereby to provide clearance for egress of the container contents; a removable thin-Walled snap cap for the cap body and a thin flexible Web connecting said body and cap to hold the latter captive, said body, cap and web being molded at one and the same time as an integral resilient plastic piece, said snap cap being domed, bulbous and constituted as a shallow hollow and concavo-convex shell devoid of internal protuberances, and further comprising substantially a portion of a sphere, said cap having at its mouth a circumferential flexible detent rim portion provided with an internal detent bead adapted to be circumferentially expansible within limits and to be snapped over the external detent bead of the cap body when the cap is applied thereto to releasably retain the cap thereon, said flexible detent portion having a configuration disposed outwardly of the bead which is incapable of retaining the cap on the cap body without the action of the bead whereby the cap is always definitely fully on the cap body and sealing the same or else fully uncovering the cap body and unsealing the same, said detent beads of the cap and cap body being respectively enlarged and reduced both circumferentially and radially when the cap is in place on the body, and the inner sealing bead of the body being thereby reduced in size by the resilient cap and being held sealingly engaged with the ball to prevent leakage of the container contents, the the shallow, bulbous configuration of the cap tending to cause slight expansion of the flexible detent rim portion and bead thereof when flattening pressure is applied to the central domed portion of the cap, as during application of the cap to the cap body, thereby to facilitate said snapping of the cap over the external detent bead of the body and making possible the complete applying of the cap and the sealing of the assemblage by a simple arcuate continuing movement of the hand.

2. A cap assemblage as in claim 1, wherein the inner sealing bead of the cap body is of substantially rectangular cross section and presents a sharp thin corner portion for sealing engagement along a thin-line contact With the applicator ball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A TURNABLE-BALL SNAP-TYPE APPLICATOR CAP ASSEMBLAGE COMPRISING A MOLDED-PLASTIC, THIN-WALLED, TUBULAR, RESILIENT CAP BODY HAVING MEANS FOR SECURING IT TO A CONTAINER, SAID CAP BODY HAVING A THIN RESILIENT RIM PROVIDED WITH INNER AND OUTER ANNULAR BEADS DISPOSED BACK-TO-BACK AND DEFINING A DISPENSING OPENING, SAID RIM AND BEADS BEING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND RADIALLY EXPANSIBLE AND CONTRACTILE, SAID INNER BEAD CONSTITUTING A SEALING MEANS AND SAID OUTER BEAD BEING GENERALLY ROUNDED IN SECTION AND CONSTITUTING A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY REDUCIBLE SNAP DETENT MEANS; AN APPLICATOR BALL ROTATABLY CARRIED BY THE CAP BODY, SAID BALL HAVING A MINOR PORTION PROTRUDING FROM SAID RIM AND EXPOSED TO THE TOUCH FOR DISPENSING THE CONTENTS OF THE CONTAINER IN CONTROLLED QUANTITIES; POSITIONING MEANS IN THE CAP COMPRISING MOLDED LUGS INTEGRAL WITH THE CAP AND ENGAGING THE BALL TO HOLD THE SAME WITHIN THE RIM, SAID MEANS ENABLING THE BALL TO BE SPACED FROM THE RIM IN RESPONSE TO INWARD PRESSURE ON THE BALL, THEREBY TO PROVIDE CLEARANCE FOR EGRESS OF THE CONTAINER CONTENTS; A REMOVABLE THIN-WALLED SNAP CAP FOR THE CAP BODY AND A THIN FLEXIBLE WEB CONNECTING SAID BODY AND CAP TO HOLD THE LATTER CAPTIVE, SAID BODY, CAP AND WEB BEING MOLDED AT ONE AND THE SAME TIME AS AN INTEGRAL RESILIENT PLASTIC PIECE, SAID SNAP CAP BEING DOOMED, BULBOUS AND CONSTITUTED AS A SHALLOW HOLLOW AND CONCAVO-CONVEX SHELL DEVOID OF INTERNAL PROTUBERANCES, AND FURTHER COMPRISING SUBSTANTIALLY A PORTION OF A SPHERE, SAID CAP HAVING AT ITS MOUTH A CIRCUMFERENTIAL FLEXIBLE DETENT RIM PORTION PROVIDED WITH AN INTERNAL DETENT BEAD ADAPTED TO BE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXPANSIBLE WITHIN LIMITS AND TO BE SNAPPED OVER THE EXTERNAL DETENT BEAD OF THE CAP BODY WHEN THE CAP IS APPLIED THERETO TO RELEASABLY RETAIN THE CAP THEREON, SAID FLEXIBLE DETENT PORTION HAVING A CONFIGURATION DISPOSED OUTWARDLY OF THE BEAD WHICH IS INCAPABLE OF RETAINING THE CAP ON THE CAP BODY WITHOUT THE ACTION OF THE BEAD WHEREBY THE CAP IS ALWAYS DEFINITELY FULLY ON THE CAP BODY AND SEALING THE SAME OR ELSE FULLY UNCOVERING THE CAP BODY AND UNSEALING THE SAME, SAID DETENT BEADS OF THE CAP AND CAP BODY BEING RESPECTIVELY ENLARGED AND REDUCED BOTH CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND RADIALLY WHEN THE CAP IS IN PLACE ON THE BODY, AND THE INNER SEALING BEAD OF THE BODY BEING THEREBY REDUCED IN SIZE BY THE RESILIENT CAP AND BEING HELD SEALINGLY ENGAGED WITH THE BALL TO PREVENT LEAKAGE OF THE CONTAINER CONTENTS, THE THE SHALLOW, BULBOUS CONFIGURATION OF THE CAP TENDING TO CAUSE SLIGHT EXPANSION OF THE FLEXIBLE DETENT RIM PORTION AND BEAD THEREOF WHEN FLATTENING PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE CENTRAL DOMED PORTION OF THE CAP, AS DURING APPLICATION OF THE CAP TO THE CAP BODY, THEREBY TO FACILITATE SAID SNAPPING OF THE CAP OVER THE EXTERNAL DETENT BEAD OF THE BODY AND MAKING POSSIBLE THE COMPLETE APPLYING OF THE CAP AND THE SEALING OF THE ASSEMBLAGE BY A SIMPLE ARCUATE CONTINUING MOVEMENT OF THE HAND. 